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Her brows knit together. “I’m sorry you had to see me like that,” she whispers. “I’m sorry I put you through hell, but it was the only way I could fix myself.”
“You’re back, and that’s all that matters. I’m just pissed I stopped you the first time.”
“You thought you were saving me.” I will always save her. “What… What happens now?”
“What do you want to happen?”
She bites her bottom lip. “I want to stay with you, but I don’t want you to feel obligated?—”
“I want you with me,” I say immediately.
I can’t resist lifting her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. The desperate need to feel close to her nearly overwhelms me.
She shivers, reminding me we’re both still drenched in freezing lake water. I switch the shower spray on, testing the water to make sure it isn’t too hot, and I pull her under the spray before stepping into the cubicle myself. The first touch of water hurts.
We stand there as it flows, her eyes magnetized to mine as we warm our bodies. My fingers skim over her chest and ribs, making her flinch. I know I damaged her when I performed CPR, and while there are no bruises yet, I have no doubt they will be there by morning.
“I’m sorry I hurt you.”
Her sweet face tips up to mine as the water cascades down her body. “You saved my life, Jackson. You did exactly what you were supposed to do.”
I ghost my fingers over her sides. “Halle can heal you.”
She shakes her head. “No offense to Halle, but I don’t want anyone to use magic on me again.”
That I understand, even if I hate seeing her in pain. “Can I wash you?”
Her eyes are heated as she takes me in. “Yes.”
I reach for the shower gel, squirting some into my hand before I swipe my fingers over her skin. Goose bumps erupt as I both explore her and clean her. Tentatively, her palms come to my chest. I freeze, holding my breath as she intently explores my body. Every inch of me vibrates with the need to take her now, but I force stillness into me. I don’t want to scare her.
I don’t know what the hell this thing between us is, but everything about her and me feels right. My wolf and hers are connected. For the first time in a long time both of us are at peace and yet there is still no mating bond. Is something holding it back? What’s blocking this?
I kiss her softly, wanting to taste her. It’s all I allow myself, even though I want to put my mouth on her pussy. Not tonight, though; not while she’s hurting.
Eventually, the water starts to run tepid, so I turn the shower off, reaching out of the cubicle for two towels.
I wrap the first around her, rubbing her arms, before slinging the second around my hips. Taking care of her feels like the most natural thing to me, as if I’ve been doing it for years.
I lead us into the bedroom and turn the thermostat up before grabbing clothes for her. Watching her dress without any help is mesmerizing. I never thought I’d see this, but I hoped I would.
Once we are dressed, I pull back the covers and help her into bed. She pulls the duvet up to her chin, still shaking a little with the cold.
“You need anything?” I ask her.
She shakes her head. “Just you.” Lifting the covers is the only invitation I need to crawl in beside her, and as soon as I’m settled, Dove drapes herself over my chest.
I hold her close, knowing no matter what happens, I’m never letting her go.
Bond or not, Dove is mine.
Chapter 8
Dove
Sleep comes easily enough, but it is not peaceful. Every time I close my eyes, I’m back in the water, choking and suffocating in the murky depths of the lake.
When I wake up, I don’t come around slowly. It feels as if I’m falling, and the jolt before I hit the ground is what finally tears me out of my sleep.
